Focus on Agriculture

SALINAS VALLEY — Hartnell College announced it has received a multi-year grant of $260,000 from Bank of America that will strengthen its ability to help Salinas Valley agricultural workers succeed and advance in an industry increasingly shaped by technology and automation. The grant will support...

SALINAS VALLEY — A panel of experts discussed current challenges in agriculture, such as the future of the workforce and the role of education, during the eighth annual Salinas Valley Ag Tech Summit. The two-day session spanned more than eight and a half hours of...

MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County Board of Supervisors narrowly voted Jan. 9 to make changes to its outdoor cannabis cultivation pilot program, allowing growers to double their canopy size and eliminate a requirement that made permit applicants prove cannabis was cultivated on the property...

SALINAS VALLEY — This Earth Month, Scheid Family Wines celebrates nearly seven years of being 100% powered by renewable wind energy. The Greenfield family-owned and operated wine company, which has embraced sustainability as a core tenet since its inception in 1972, is the only winery...

KING CITY — Salinas Valley Fairgrounds in King City were buzzing last month as the annual Fair Kick-Off event drew more than 600 guests and set an enthusiastic tone for the upcoming 81st Salinas Valley Fair, scheduled for May 15-18. Organized by the Salinas Valley...

Cal State Monterey Bay had an exciting start to the semester with the first students entering our new mechatronic engineering program — which combines mechanical, electrical, software and systems engineering skills — and the project launch of our Edward “Ted” Taylor Science and Engineering...

KING CITY — An FFA caravan hit Broadway Street last Wednesday as part of the FFA Week lineup for the Future Farmers of America at King City High School. The caravan had 35 vehicles, including diesel trucks from L.A. Hearne and Bassetti Farms, which blew...

SALINAS VALLEY — Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA) and the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) have launched a new well registration program to better understand and protect groundwater resources in the Salinas Valley. All well owners are asked to register their wells for free...

SALINAS VALLEY — Nearly 400 people with a professional stake in the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables consumed worldwide gathered at Hartnell College on May 4-5 for the 17th Annual Western Food Safety Conference. The conference, held on Hartnell’s Main Campus in Salinas as...

Editor’s Note: The following profile is an excerpt from Amy Wu’s upcoming book, “From Farms to Incubators: Women Innovators Revolutionizing How Our Food is Grown,” which tells the stories of women entrepreneurs who are transforming agriculture through high technology. Jackie Vazquez spends the majority of...